I had the pleasure of meeting some really awesome writers when I attended the DFWCON Writer's Conference at the beginning of May. I wanted to do some spotlight interviews to showcase how awesome they really are. Our first interview is with someone who really made me feel welcomed to the conference and who gave me a lot of support when I really needed it (pitching to agents!). I asked her a few questions about her writing and about the conference. So without further ado...here is Angelique Jamail!!1. What is the book you are writing about?I actually have four books in process at the moment, in various stages of development. This is the cure for writer’s block: have more projects going than you have time for, so there’s always something else to work on when one thing feels stalled! The first is an e-book launching this summer, entitled Finis. Here’s the blurb that would be on the back cover (if e-books had back covers):

“Elsa’s family grows more unkind by the week. Her boss, a seven-foot-tall rage demon, has control of everything but his anger. And her cat wants to eat her. Things could be better. In a world where one’s Animal Affinity is a sign of maturity and worth, Elsa’s inability to demonstrate hers is becoming more than a disappointing nuisance; it’s becoming a danger. She has no confidence she’ll ever conquer her Plainness by “blossoming.” She also fears both the wolf packs that prowl her neighborhood and being stuck in a life plummeting rapidly from lackluster to perilous. Fortunately, she has a cousin and a co-worker who know her better than she knows herself and can see through to what society won’t. Finis. is the magic realism of our time, a story of finding one’s way to the end of things, of persevering through the dregs of life to discover something more.” (I haven’t yet announced the launch date for Finis. Be looking for it soon, though, on my social media, as well as information about the release party in Houston!)

Other projects in the works right now are a collection of poems entitled Gypsies (currently in revisions), another collection of poems entitled Playing House (on their way to my editor this week), and a novel tentatively entitled Forest of Diamonds, a literary fantasy and the first in a series (currently in rewrites).2. When did you know that you wanted to write?I think the first time I ever read one of my short stories to an audience was fourth grade. I’m pretty sure I’ve been writing poems and stories since I could physically write. But by seventh grade I had begun my first novel (which was never finished, predictably), and by eleventh grade I knew Creative Writing was my career path. In much the same way I don’t have any clear memories of being unable to read, I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t fascinated by and enamored of Story.3. What advice would you give a newbie writer who wants to be published?Write every day. I know this is a platitude, but it’s true. Even if all you do is scribble three sentences into a notebook when you first wake up in the morning or reflect in that notebook for five minutes every night, do it. Reflecting and writing every day improves the way our brains work. Cultivate the discipline to get the work done. It’s lovely when the Muse descends and you create a first draft that sparkles, but this is simply not how it happens most of the time. Persistence and perseverance are incredibly important and will help you develop a thick skin, which is absolutely essential for all writers who intend to share their writing with anyone other than their spouses or parents. And I wish I could say my skin is like armored hide, but it’s not; this is something we fragile egos work on all throughout our careers. But find a good critique group populated by smart people who love to read and whom you can trust to be honest with you; it’s best if many of the writers in it are even farther along than you are, because you want to be with people who will help you get better. And in return, give them your very best honest critiques, too, because they deserve that for helping you. Finally, increase your vocabulary and your depth of understanding of language. Words are your tools, and you want to make sure you know and can work with as many of them as possible.Will all of these things lead to publication? Not necessarily, in and of themselves. But they will make you better at writing, and that will help you along the path to publication. So will gaining knowledge about the industry. Know your audience, know your craft, know your field.4. What was the most beneficial thing you learned at DFWCON?DFWCon is such a fantastic conference, and I don’t know if I could isolate just one thing that was better than everything else. This year, I attended quite a few classes or seminars that helped me with different aspects of my current projects. I wrote a debrief about it here. I loved Jonathan Maberry’s tips for managing the writing life and Donald Maass’ workshop on the 21st-Century novel. Kay Honeyman and Suzanne Frank’s class on designing characters with built-in conflict potential was fantastic, as well as Julie Kibler and Natalia Sylvester’s workshop on tackling major novel revisions. There were more, too - in fact, so many great offerings that I had to split up from my colleagues and compare notes on all the different classes afterward, because there were just too many good things going on at the same time. Oh, or a time turner!5. Why should writers attend conferences?Even if you’ve been writing for a long time, even if you’re well established and feel like you have a good handle on how to do this writing stuff, go to conferences. Meet other people who work in your genre, in your field. Network with other writers. Make friends. Writing can become solitary most of the time, and you can become your own echo chamber if you don’t get out there and mingle with others going along on this harrowing, exciting journey, too. A writing conference is also one of the best places to learn about the industry. And if you’re finally ready to query a manuscript, conferences can be a great place to meet agents and editors to pitch to or consult with, to potentially elevate yourself above the nameless, faceless slush pile. The bottom line? Conferences are a professional development opportunity as well as being fun.Thanks so much Angelique for the chance to interview you! I know we all wish you luck with your e-book launching and I'm really looking forward to Forest of Diamonds. Thanks so much for your support at DFWCON and it was fun stalking agents with you at the Saturday night dinner!!If you would like more information on our Spotlight Writer, you can check out her website here!!Make sure to check back for another DFWCON Attendee Interview!!

I know...i'ts been awhile since I've written on here, but that's going to change. My love of writing has been renewed since DFWCON this past weekend.

So...how did it go for me? Great! Thanks for asking.

Friday night was an awesome mixer put on by my twitter friend @Sarah_OKC and it was a lot of fun. I met a lot of new people and even saw some familiar faces. It was so nice hanging out with other writers who are on the same page (haha) as me. You can see how passionate everyone is for the books that they've been slaving away at.

Saturday morning I met with Agents Emily Keyes and Sarah Negovitch to look over my query letter. They only had a few minor things to fix, but overall, they loved it! It really made me feel good to have that coming from some top agents. Later that afternoon I had a one-on-one pitch session with Agent Katie Shae Boutillier and she was really interested in my manuscript. She asked for fifty pages. Yeah for me! That evening we had another mixer, this time put on by the conference. It was fun to hang out with old friends and some new ones.

Sunday I had an early meeting with Agent Laura Zats. She was super nice and was easy to talk to. She also asked for the first fifty pages. Yeah for me again!

Overall, I had a fabulous time at DFWCON. I will start posting again more regularly and even try out Vlogging...video + Blog...I'll post about that class next time!!

The thing that kinda "lit my fire" to finish my manuscriptwas a conference that I really, really, wanted to go to in Dallas, TX. It was pretty pricey, $345 for just the entrence fee, but I knew that the only way I was going to get my published was through networking. Did I get an agent at this conference? No. But I did learn a lot about the business and I met so many awesome people who just furthered my love of writing. I attended another conference in July of that same year, only $75 for this one, and again, I met some pretty awesome people. So, this leads me to tip #4.Tip #4- Network like crazy!!If you have not googled "writing conferences in 2013," then stop reading this post and do so now!! But don't forget to come back and finish reading this post....it has some pretty good information!! Why should you attend a conference? Well, they offer classes that help you with your craft. Maybe you can't figure out how to fix your plot or one of your characters is a little flat and could use a boost. These classes are taught by people in the business who know where you are coming from. They are there to help you!! Why do you think you have to pay some big bucks?? Also, conferences are a great way to network with other newbie writers. Exchange cards (yes, you need cards) and go out to dinner. Talk about what you see for the future of your book and listen to them in turn. Talk with the vendors they have set up, you never know when they might have your book in their store. Mix and mingle at these conferences and get to know the people. Don't forget to talk to the head of the conference. You aren't brown nosing, you're networking!! But Laura, I just don't have the money to attend a big conference! That's okay!! Check your local library or things offered around your own city. That way you don't have to pay for a hotel!!Now go sign up for a conference or workshop!!

About a year ago I "came out of the closet" and told my friends and family that I was writing a book and hoping to make a living out of being a writer. I was really nervous about telling people about my book because you always get the same reaction..."Have you gotten an agent yet?" "When will your book be out?" "I've been writing a book too! Can you pass it on to someone for me?" I knew that I wanted to take this seriously, so I signed up for a conference in the DFW area. It was pretty pricey, but I knew that it was worth at least going to see if I was even good at this whole writing thing. I had a great time and had such good feedback from my book that I was instantly hit with the writing bug. I had to sign up for my next conference and the Lexicon conference was a few months after that. Here is my review of both conferences. DFW Writers' Conference: When I first went onto their website, I was blown away. The director of the conference had a blog that was updated regularly with author and speaker bios, tips on pitching sessions, and even success stories from the previous conferences. When I finally arrived at the conference, I was a little overwhelmed by how big it was. It was kind of nice to be surrounded by a large group of people who all wanted the same thing. I felt welcomed when I first arrived. The thing I liked most about DFW was the literary agents they had set up for us. It was my time to see if I actually had something. In the end, I met some really awesome people and have a new confidence in my writing abilities. The one thing I wish would change for next year is bigger classrooms, I had to sit on the floor for quite a few of them.Lexicon: I found Lexicon after doing a google search for conferences in the state of Texas. This one was far less expensive and was around the same DFW area that the other conference was. The director Mitch was quick to reply to my e-mails and I was excited to attend. I knew that this conference would be smaller than DFW and I was interested to see what it had to offer. The first night was a Meet & Greet and I was really nervous. How would people react to this young, unpublished author? I was shocked at how nice and welcoming everyone was! The director Mitch was never too busy to have time for you and the other authors had so much advice to share! I felt right at home among the others and everyone just seemed so excited to be there. The classes were full of information and even has me excited about writing the screenplay of my novel! In the end, I really had a great time and met so many new lifelong friends.Overall, both conferences offered me two different things. DFW offered me a chance to meet with big named people and Lexicon offered a chance to network and learn from already published authors. If you are looking at attending these conferences I would highly recommend them. Especially if you are a self-published author, Lexicon is the place to be. If you are just starting out and not sure about what to do, DFW is a great place to get your foot in the door.I hope this post was helpful!!

The picture to the left is James Rollins. He has written more bestsellers than I can count on my fingers. I had the pleasure of hearing him speak at the DFW Conference this past May. Not only is he very good looking, but he's also very funny. My mom was so jealous to find out that I was able to hear him speak. She is a HUGE fan. So, the question is, why am I talking about him when he doesn't write my type of genre?Well, since I've come back from my conference I've been active on twitter (@bookwormlaura). I sent a tweet to him saying that I had formed a little crush on him at the conference and he tweeted me back! He used my name!! LOL Anyways, I just wanted to say that I am totally twitter struck right now. I love going on and seeing what published authors are tweeting about. It makes me feel that much closer to being right there with them!